Favorite recipe for Shepherd’s Pie, a classic American-style British and Irish casserole. Cook ground beef and hearty veggies, top with mashed potatoes and bake to perfection.
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Shepherd’s Pie comes to us from England and is traditionally prepared with lamb or mutton. Here in the States, we’re more of a beef food culture than a lamb food culture, and when you’re served Shepherd’s Pie here, it’s usually made with ground beef.
Regardless of what you call it, a shepherd’s pie is basically a casserole with a layer of cooked meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven until the mashed potatoes are well browned.
Dig in and you’ll get a spoonful of mashed potatoes, some crunchy chunks, meat and veggies all in one bite. It’s pure comfort food.
What follows is an easy recipe for a ground beef version of Shepherd’s Pie. The original recipe came from my friend Frances Hochschild and her mom (thanks Frannie!).
Video: How to Make Easy Shepherd’s Pie
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How to make Shepherd’s Pie
How to freeze this shepherd’s pie
You may be concerned about freezing shepherd’s pie because potatoes don’t always do well in the freezer. Due to the added fat in the mashed potatoes, this casserole freezes very well. Freeze up to 3 months by following the instructions in the link below.
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From the editors of Simply Recipes
Plain shepherd’s pie
ingredients
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1 teaspoon Salt, plus more to taste
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3 large (1 1/2 to 2 pounds) Potatoes, peeled and quartered
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8th tablespoon (1 stick) Melt butter
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1 Middle Onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
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1 to 2 cups mixed Vegetables like diced carrots, corn or peas
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1 1/2 lb ground round beef
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1/2 Cup beef broth
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1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
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Pepper and/or other spices of your choice
method
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Boil potatoes:
Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with at least an inch of cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, bring to a boil, and cook until tender (about 20 minutes).
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Fry the vegetables:
While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until tender, about 6 to 10 minutes.
If you add vegetables, add them according to their cooking time. Carrots should be cooked with the onions as they take the same amount of time to cook as the onions.
If you are adding peas or corn, add them toward the end of the onion’s cooking process or after the meat begins to cook, as they require very little cooking time.
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Add the ground beef, then the Worcestershire sauce and the broth:
Add the ground beef to the pan with the onions and vegetables. Cook until no longer pink. Drain excess fat from pan, if necessary (more than 1 tablespoon). Season with salt and pepper.
Add the Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding more beef stock if needed to keep the meat from drying out.
Taste the cooked filling, adding more salt, pepper, Worcestershire, or other seasoning of your choice if needed.
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Mash the boiled potatoes:
When the potatoes are done cooking (a fork can easily prick them), remove them from the pot and place in a bowl with the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Mash with a fork or potato masher, taste and season with salt and pepper.
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Layer the meat mixture and mashed potatoes in a casserole dish:
Spread the cooked filling in an even layer in a large casserole dish (such as a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
Spread the mashed potatoes over the ground beef. Rough the surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so there are peaks that brown well. You can even use a fork to add creative designs to the mashed potatoes.
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Bake in the oven:
Place in a 400°F oven and bake until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. If needed, grill for the last few minutes to brown the surface of the mashed potatoes.
(Be careful when grilling with Pyrex or glassware, they’ve been known to crack under the high heat of the grill. It’s not a problem if you’re using a ceramic or metal casserole dish.)
Suggested variations:
Place a layer of creamed corn between the ground beef and mashed potatoes.
Before baking, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the mashed potatoes.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 865 | calories |
| 50g | Fat |
| 51g | carbohydrates |
| 54g | protein |
